Truck for moving buildings



Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 1.

I J. MINAHAN.

TRUCK FOR MOVING BUILDINGS.

No.244,0'70. PatentedJuly 12,1881.

"In" H 4 INVENTUR Mama ' ATTORNEY d m 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

J. MINAHAN.

. TRUCK FOR MOVING BUILDINGS. No. 244,070. Patented July 12, 1881.

WITNESSES IINVENTOB A'rroRiv'EY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. MINAHAN. TRUCK FORMOVING BUILDINGS INVENTOR, Mob,

Patented July 12,1881.

ATTORNEY m PETERS. PiwwLflhognphar. Wcnhinypn. n. c.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. J

JOHN MINAHAN, OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRUCK FOR MOVING BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,070, dated July 12,1881.

Application filed April 26, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN MINAHAN, ofSteelton, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Raising andMoving Houses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in devices for raising and movinghouses, the object being to provide devices of such construction thatany desired number may be applied to a house and the latter readilyraised thereby, and then transported to any desired point.

With these ends in view my invention consists, essentially, in aportable frame provided with avertically-adjustable lifting rod or beam,the latter constructed to support one end of a sill or beam attached toor connected with the house or object to be raised.

My invention further consists in certain features of constructionandcombinations of parts, as will hereinafter be described, and pointedout in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a house with my improvementapplied thereto for raising and moving the same. Fig. 2 is an end view.Fig. 3 is an enlarged View, in perspective, of the portable liftingapparatus.

A represents an upright frame, the lower ends beingmounted onthe frontand rear axles, B B. Frame A may be made of iron, steel, or wood, or ofmetal and wood combined, and may be made with an arch-shaped upper end,as shown in the drawings, or it may be of any other desired shape.

To the opposite ends of each one of the axles B B are rigidly securedthe supporting-wheels O G and small gear-wheels or pinions D D, thelatter being located between the frame A and the supporting or carryingwheels. E E are large gear-wheels, which are rigidly keyed or otherwisesecured to the shaft F, which latter is journaled in a cross-bar, G, itsopposite ends being attached to the lower ends or portion of the frameA. Large gear-wheels E E mesh with the small gear-wheels or pinions D Don the front and rear supporting-axles, B B.

To the shaft F are rigidly keyed the ratchetwheels G G with which engagethe gravitypawls H H, which are pivoted to the arms ii of the bifurcatedactuating-lever I, said arms it being journaled on the outer ends of theshaft F. By raising the outer or free end of the lever I the free endsof the pawls H H ride over the ratchet teeth, and when said lever isdepressed the pawls engage the ratchets,rotatin g them, together withthe large gear-wheels, in the direction indicated by the arrow marked 1,thereby casing the front and rear carrying or supporting wheels, 0 O, tobe rotated in the same direction, as indicated by the arrows marked 2.Thus it will be observed that the device may be readily propelled bysimply actuating the lever I.

In the upper portion of the frame A is inserted the lifting-rod K, whichis inserted in a hole, j, in the frame. The upper end of the lifting-rodis screw-threaded, and has a nut, L, applied thereto which rests uponthe top of the frame. Nut L may have a handle rigidly secured thereto,and is provided with a stirrup, M, which may be made solid with the bar,or it maybe made separatefrom the bar and swiveled thereto.

Having described the construction and arrangement of parts, I willbriefly describe the method of using myimproved raising and movingapparatus.

The house or other object is first raised by jack-screws so as to freeit from the foundation. Two, three, or more of my devices are thenplaced on each side of the house, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Beams0 are then inserted beneath the house, and between its sills andfoundation, the opposite ends of each beam being inserted in thestirrups M of the devices,locatedoppositeeachother. Thebeams O arebolted to the sills to prevent their displacement. The several beams arethen raised by turning the nuts L, and the house raised to any desiredheight. By regulatingthe vertical adjustment of the lifting-rods thehouse maybe retained in a horizontal position, irrespective of thegrades met with in its transportation. After the house has been raisedthe:levers I of the several devices are actuated,

thereby imparting a forward movement to the house and serving to move itto any desired point. In order to providea smooth even foundation forthe carrying or supporting wheels planks are laid to form a trackway forsupporting them.

By the employment of my improved apparatus houses of any size andconstruction may be readily raised and moved with perfect safety and ata comparatively small cost. When the building has been moved to thedesired place it is lowered by loosening the nuts L. The liftin g-framesmay beprovided with one or more perforated lugs for the attachment ofrods for connecting the several devices located at the side of thehouse, and causing them to move in unison with each other.

I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to any particularuse of my invention, as it may be employed in raising and replacingcars, in raising and moving safes and other heavy objects and articles.

It is evident that slight changes in the construction and relativearrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from thespirit of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I donot limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of partsshown and described; but

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Inamaohineforraising and movinghouses or other objects, thecombination, with a frame supported on carrying-wheels, said frameprovided with a vertically-adjustable lifting-rod, of devices forrotating the carrying-wheels, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with theframe provided with a vertically-adjustablelifting-rod having a stirrup at its lower end, of carrying-wheelssupporting said frame, gear-wheels or pinions attached to thesupporting-axles, large gearwheels attached to a supplemental shaft andarranged to mesh with the gears on the axle, ratchets secured to thesupplemental shaft, and an actuating-lever provided with pawls whichengage with said ratchets, substantially as set forth.

3. The means, substantially herein described, for raising and movinghouses, consisting, essentially,of a series of portable frames adaptedto be moved close to the opposite sides of the house, each frame beingprovided witha vertically-adjustable lifting-rod having a stirrup at itslower end for supporting the opposite ends of beams insertedbeneath thehouse, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN MINAHAN.

Witnesses:

ALBERT L. LAWRENCE, A. W. BRIGHT.

